The country's 2019 MAID [medical assistance in dying] Annual Report found that 13.7 percent of the 5,631 Canadians killed by doctors asked to be lethally injected because of "isolation or loneliness." If my math is right, that's about 771 people, or 64 a month, or two per day. Good grief!

Some of the other reasons people gave for asking to be killed:

Loss of ability to engage in enjoyable activities, 82.1 percent. That's a serious concern, but with proper interventions, it can be overcome.

Loss of ability to perform activities of daily living, 78.1 percent. Ditto.

"Inadequate control of pain (or concern about it)," 53.9 percent. That's a scandalously high percentage. Palliative and hospice pain-control experts will tell you that most serious pain in terminal illnesses can be successfully alleviated.

Loss of dignity, 53.3 percent. Again, this is a serious concern but can be overcome with appropriate care.

Perceived burden on family, friends, and caregivers, 34 percent. In other words, people put themselves out of their loved one's misery.